Tempest
by Spoken Fear
Summary: With this last chance to prove herself worthy as a summoner,Yuna's silence is her redemption and her curse. When in the darkness, you learn to trust the shadows looming within.


**_Tempest  
_**

_AN: I know it has been forever, for those who have waited patiently for the return of my previous (and first ever) fanfic: Just Wait For Me. But it was deleted because of various reasons. I'm almost 100 sure that this will be a much better replacement, with a better story line and an altogether superior rival to the previous fic that was deleted. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything!_

_Warning: I know this story takes place in FFX, a time where Sin still exists and summoners are still needed. Some characters in future chapters will be mentioned that only appear in FFX-2, but do exist in FFX. I'm speaking of the members of the Crimson Squad. It is only in FFX's sequel that you learn of these characters' existence, but they did have something to do with FFX, but were just not mentioned until the sequel came out. I will try not to mention names for those who still want to read this and don't know who these characters are._

_Summary: With this last chance to prove herself worthy as a summoner,Yuna's __silence is her redemption and her curse. When in the darkness, you learn to trust the shadows looming within. She'll soon learn that this task will be even harder than she could ever imagine...  
_

_:**: C**_hapter One – **Silence**

_**T**_he warm glow of the chamber's candle light reflected beautiful and horrific shadows, painting ethereal images of darkness onto the old stone walls. The flames ate at the darkness, instilling a tender radiance into the Healing Chamber. Pale, hands curled around the offering, fingers rosy from her own heat. She cradled the small blossom in her hands, and stepped into the pool of liquid warmth, shattering her own reflection into tiny ripples. Delicately placing the offering on the surface of the water, she closed her eyes and let the Fayth's mind enter her own. It felt like a flutter of feathers, guarding her thoughts, memories, and secrets, enclosing everything around them so that she was protected. The flutter of feathers ceased, and the protective veil dissipated to reveal the chamber's presence again. She opened her eyes, and sighed heavily.

_"You are not showing me everything. There is one memory, one secret that you are not yielding."_

The Fayth's voice was a whisper in a zephyr, drifting and then gone and yet, was never truly there to begin with. It was only the summoner that could hear his voice. She answered back the only way he would accept, by using the voice of her mind. This technique could not be translated completely and properly into words, it was simply (by her description) the essence of the summoner. It was the pulse of blood, the tentative breath that is taken with each inhale, and the gentle sigh of an exhale, and the stirring in your mind. It was all of these things, pure and natural, that formed her inner voice, so that all of her secrets were not secrets anymore.

'I'm sorry.'

_"Your mind must be open to mine for the Healing. Secrets should not be kept hidden inside until they fester, young summoner."_

'There have been a lot of things clouding my mind. Please, don't take this as a sign of distrust. I assure you, I am ready for this final task.'

There was a pause, then the Fayth continued, _"This one thing that you guard with such force, I will not take from you. Young girls such as yourself hold secrets dearly. I suppose, I shall not deprive you of this. But if this secret consumes you, if it is something to fear, waste no time in telling me." _

The summoner nodded hesitantly, ducking her head and distracted herself by looking at her reflection in the water.

_"As for the final task, I see that you are more than ready. Your powers are becoming stronger, if you can bend the fabric of thoughts so that a spirit such as mine cannot see this, is astonishing…"_

Her eyes flickered in embarrassment for a moment, before she blushed with gratitude. A compliment from the Fayth was something to be honored.

_"This last trial will define your strength and will power as a summoner. Your patience and skill at your arts will be tested. From this moment on, your silence is your gift. It will guide you to the path you must take. Your silence will redeem you for summoners' past sins, and in the end, all will be fixed. It all lies in your hands, how you shape your own future."_

The summoner watched as her eyes donned a new expression, one she wished to keep hidden. She would do this, she had to. Raising her head she nodded solemnly, 'I understand.'

_"In this time, your powers will be limited. I cannot help you, and neither can your aeons…"_ the Fayth paused and looked at the stoic guardian watching from a distance, then looked back to the young girl, _"Your guardians can provide little help. This task must be completed in solitude alone. The only time you may be spared some relief is the dark of the moon. Only in the night can you use more than what is given. There is no predetermined time frame for this task. When you are where you must be, then this burden will be lifted. You will know when this time comes."_

'But how can I…'

The Fayth cut her off, _"I cannot provide you with answers. Remember that you must never tell anyone of the events that take place during this time. Your journey begins now. Let this statement heed your tongue: not a word may you utter, not a whisper to fill the heavy silence, not a whimper to release in pain. Your strength is proven yet. Let these words linger in your ears." _

The golden light around her swirled and melted into darkness. The last thing she felt was the pounding in her chest and the resounding echo of a whisper in her head, until the darkness slipped over her like a black veil.

ooooo

_**I**_t was dark, so dark. The atmosphere was painted with the darkest shade of black. In her feverish state, she could barely tell if her eyes were open or closed, which only heightened her terror. She had heard the tales of those lost inside themselves, so far away from even the loving grasp of another that they could never be saved. It was the deepest fear in every child's cry, the resonating echo of death, the thundering pulse of blood sounding like the hoof-beats of a thousand stallions, fading to a distant throb. They were simply, consumed by this fear.

Her mind suddenly went blank, and her stiff body moved, seemingly healed from its paralysis. The air turned lighter, and her vision became unclouded. The gentle moonlight filtered through a nearby window and pooled beneath her feet, blessing her with the radiance of light once again. This sliver of light, this tiny beacon was sanctioned only for her, and she shivered in its excellence.

'Open your eyes.'

She felt her fingers clutch at something, desperately. She opened her eyes once more, and found herself enveloped in the familiar warm, scarlet material of her guardian. Embarrassingly enough, she realized what had happened, piecing together the remnants her memory allowed. The young summoner released her grasp on the thick, crimson robes, and took a step backwards. Painfully flexing her fingers behind her back she offered Auron a timid apology, this time constructing a barrier around her thoughts.

"You should be more careful next time, Yuna."

He used his real voice this time. His gruff tone was dismissive, as was his nature.

'I know. I'm sorry.'

Yuna made sure to veil her thoughts and feelings carefully around Auron, for the ability they both shared allowed for no secrets. Each breath drawn was as one. He could feel her pain, live her terror, and experience her happiness as she could experience his. That was the reason for Auron's guarded nature, he would never give his summoner any unnecessary pain. He would guard her thoughts, heal her wounds, and protect her with a severity in battle. Yet, she still feared him. His tangled words served to confuse, and she thought more than once that he knew more than he let on. If she hadn't composed herself as fast as she had, he would've guessed at her distress.

Innocently, as he caught her before she fell to the ground, the immediate contact had given her access to his past. Recounting the nightmarish world she had just been trapped in moments ago, Yuna decided this talent was more a curse than a gift. As her skills developed, the trials became greater.

"Let's go."

Yuna nodded faintly, not daring to look behind her at the shadows looming among the warm glow, and followed his retreating form.

Something didn't feel right.

ooooo

_**H**_er fingers gently parted the smooth soil, reveling in the feel of the cool earth slipping against her skin. This was what calmed and soothed her the most: tending to her garden. Besides, no conversation was required among the plants and blooming flowers.

She pressed her thumb gently against the curve of an orchid's petal. The flowers she had planted had bloomed well, and were still resilient against the heavy downpour of rain Besaid was noted for.

Yuna felt something warm rub against her ankle, and smiled at the emerald eyes looking up at her. She gently stroked her spotted fur, gliding her thumb behind the animal's ears to trace the small vein-like creases of feather where the soft fur changed to a sage-green plume.

Though small, her companion was strong and her quiet ferocity defied the curses of those that had abandoned and maimed her so long ago. Yuna knew she could never tame such a wild animal, and had no wish to. Although Coeurls were known for their savage attacks and frustratingly devious skill at forbidden magic, Jade would never hurt her. Years of consuming angst and pain had left both in a companionable understanding that was foreign to others of their kind. She could swear that the animal could comprehend her subtleties, her inner voice, and her anguish. There was a look in those emerald eyes that were almost human, or perhaps _once _human long ago. Mystical creatures such as this one could not be classified as one thing entirely, she decided. 'Perhaps, she is a guide sent from Father' she mused.

She stood up from her crouching position, and swiveled on her heels when something red caught her eye. Gently, she placed the small bloom in her hands. The blood-red rose was coated with mud, and its petals were scattered like shattered pieces of glass, yet she could tell that it wasn't dying. No browning edges, or brittle petals. No tear at the stem, if it had been plucked or cut. This wasn't normal… 'A bad omen', she mused. A fierce wind blew the petals out of her grasp, savagely ripping at its beauty with a power that could not belong to the wind alone. She looked upwards to the darkened sky, searching for an answer.

"Yuna."

The black mage had been sitting on the stone bench in the garden, still as the night. Yuna made sure to mask her sense of foreboding, for Lulu needed no ability to read the summoner's thoughts to know when something was troubling her. Lulu motioned for the young girl to sit beside her, and tactfully slipped the girl's brunette strands of hair into an intricate braid.

"I didn't get to tell you, because you were at the temple earlier, but a visitor has come for you."

Her gentle hands worked to tuck a stubborn strand of hair out of her face, careful not to smear dirt on her cheeks. A look of surprise interrupted her actions at Lulu's statement. A visitor…

At that precise moment, the aforementioned visitor made his appearance through the garden gates. Yuna frantically scrubbed her hands vigorously with a dirty cloth in a vain attempt to look presentable before his presence, and shot a glare at Lulu between actions. 'Lulu, why didn't you tell me before?' her glance pleaded desperately as Lulu went back inside.

"Lady Yuna."

Seymour…

His visit wasn't completely unexpected, he had been coaxing her into marriage for a while now. Each time, she politely declined, marriage wasn't one of her priorities. There was her pilgrimage, her commitment to defeat Sin. She also didn't feel particularly comfortable with him. Something in his eyes told her that he was hungry for power, and he wouldn't stop for anyone to get what he wanted. He was more than happy to take advantage of her in this vulnerable state, she was sure of this.

"I must be brief. My plans for Bevelle cannot be postponed any longer, and I must depart for Guadosalam immediately after this visit."

Yuna nodded with indifference. She did not wish to awaken any other overt affection that he harbored, it was impossible enough to think of marriage in her current situation. To die for Spira, to sacrifice herself so that others may not suffer anymore, that was a task in itself. But she wanted to give the people of Spira this gift. Time was what everyone needed, a brief respite to salvage the remnants of peace from the damage. She knew for a fact Seymour didn't approve of her pilgrimage. If she married him, her death would leave him bitter and resentful. Yuna wouldn't wish that on anyone.

She watched from her seat on the bench, as he clenched and unclenched his fingers into fists, in perpetual anxiety, and paced back and forth. She vaguely noticed Jade peer at him through lidded eyes, then disappear into the foliage. The creature came and went as it pleased. She turned back to Seymour while musing, 'Why is this so hard for him _this _time?'

"As you know…Guadosalam's force has wavered over the years. My men are strictly trained for battle, eager and excited to test their skills on our enemies. A recent invasion on our force has given us more than enough reason to go through with the raid on Bevelle."

This information was new to her, and she struggled with the constricting bind his tone wove around her. He spoke with a dark vengeance that couldn't be condoned. This was another reason that they could never see eye-to-eye. Seymour had a certainty about righting past wrongs with the letting of blood, for in his eyes it could not be done any other way. Yuna had no desire for retribution, just peace for the future.

His eyes darkened suddenly, and he turned away from her.

"These long battles, and the arduous task of ruling my people has made me weary. It makes me think of dark thoughts, where my hatred is the only thing I can go by. I need a wife to wait for me after combat, to give me a son to secure all that I've worked so hard to earn…to be the one to balance all of these dark things. I grow tired of coming home only to be greeted by cold stone walls and emptiness in the air."

He would not look at her, as if he was ashamed for showing any emotion at all.

'I cannot marry you' she replied to his insinuated proposal, although he knew full well that she could not answer, much to her chagrin.

A trace of a smile appeared on his lips for the briefest moments, as he continued, "I know what your answer is despite this barrier. Yet, I cannot understand your reason for sacrificing all that I can offer you, for your opting on a preconceived death, just so that this torturous cycle may continue. We all know that Sin cannot be stopped forever. Your desire for death is questionable, and your reasoning… a mystery. My offer is not only for your well being but also for everyone in Spira. Now you are offered a chance to experience everything that life submits. I will not let you surrender your life thus, without a care in the world. "

Yuna sealed her lips firmly together, her eyes shining her answer in a well-disguised glare; 'My answer remains the same.'

His timid smirk rivaled her anger as he walked closer, "I see a strong defiance in your eyes. As I recall, it was your father's dying wish that you be wed to a man that can provide for you; keep you safe…"

'Enclosed in your fortress walls like a beloved prisoner, a canary in a gilded cage so that her sweet songs may never reach the air outside her confinement. My father wished me to wed for love, and nothing else.'

A clawed finger reached to briefly touch her temple, and she struggled not to flinch away disrespectfully, swallowing her anger in a futile attempt to keep her facial expression unresponsive. She found it difficult to keep her mind closed to his intentions, as his touch burned through her and his exploration finished to rest at the side of her jaw. She winced slightly at the sudden feeling of his nail piercing her skin as he put more pressure on the thumb resting on her cheek.

"Consider my offer."

At the same time, a message from this contact slipped through into her mind forcefully with a predetermined menace, 'Do not defy me.'

He retreated, leaving her numb with shock and fear with his next statement: "No one can take from me what is mine."

The finality in his tenor made her shiver with an unmistakable terror, reassuring her that what he spoke was the truth. What he offered was a dare; this last time his proposal was to be taken seriously.

_AN: This first chapter was basically an intro, telling you about Yuna's abilities and so on. Next chapter will pick up drastically, so enjoy this for now. Tell me what you think- if it's better or worse than before. The second chapter will be more intense, just a warning. Now click that 'review' button, it's calling to you! __:D_

_-SF_


End file.
